Hickey, who also is a Republican representative for Sioux Falls, says the decision is a blow to religious freedom.

“I’m not surprised,” Hickey said. “We can see where this is going, but people need to think about the end game: Gay rights trump religious rights.”

Hickey is concerned that those who are morally opposed to gay marriage will be labeled as bigots and forced to behave against their conscience. He’s worried that he and other pastors will be forced to perform gay marriages at some point in the future.

He says he won’t perform same sex marriages, regardless of what the Supreme Court decides.

“They can put me in jail for that if they want,” Hickey said.

First off, the SC is still allowing states to decide whether they want to allow same sex couples to marry, and in good old South Dakota, that has been illegal since 2006. Secondly, even if it were legal in SD, I don’t think gays will be lining up outside Steve’s church to get married, it would be like going to Steve’s church to get an abortion, just not gonna happen.

As for how this will affect gay and lesbians in South Dakota, Himmel-Roberts said: “I think we tend to be 25 years behind everyone else. We have a state Legislature that is made up of extremists. Until we can get some middle-of-the-road and good old true South Dakotans with South Dakota values, we’re going to be a testing ground for all these ridiculous laws.”

After reading Dannika Nash’s blog post about marriage equality and the church, I wonder if Dannika is missing the bigger point;

I’m writing this because I’m worried about the safety of the Church. The Church keeps scratching its head, wondering why 70% of 23-30 year-olds who were brought up in church leave. I’m going to offer a pretty candid answer, and it’s going to make some people upset, but I care about the Church too much to be quiet.

Someone said to me the other day, “I’m too smart to be a Christian.” Pretty poingnant. People like Nash who are constantly questioning their religion will find themselves leaving that religion. Sometimes these people leave their certain religion for another one, some just choose to float into outer space (agnostics). Others just give up on God all together. Myself, I believe in a higher power, I just don’t believe it belongs to a church or a religion. The problem with religion is that it constantly wants to be a political force. God is NOT a politician. I believe God created us to make wise decisions on our own, and we don’t need clergy to tell us how to vote, where to work, who to be friends with and certainly NOT who can be our lover. I think there is a conscience inside of all of us that tells us when we are doing right or wrong. I think this is also a gift from God. Religion tells us how to think, how to act, who to love. This is why I choose not to have a religion. I think someday Ms. Nash will figure out that the combination of religion and politics is just a recipe for disaster. This is why our country and world is so divided. Not because of our skin color, or because we love a certain person, but this belief that OUR God is the ONLY God to follow.

Silliness.

I can’t tell you what to believe, nor do I want to. But you must find PEACE with your own God. And if you find that in a church pew, good for you. I’m just saying that religion is not always the answer to your questions. Dig deeper. THINK. God wants that from us.

Sadly, it’s not rare that a right-wing loony from my home state makes the news. However, this one has, in addition to taking the cake by saying gays are a bigger threat to America than terrorism, has now officially left reality for some other bizzaro plane of existence.

In her most recent act of outright stupidity, Kern has issued a proclamation for morality, which you can read here. She has also publicly blamed gays and illegitimate children for the current economic mess. It seems fundamentalist nut-jobs like her have moved on from witches, gypsies, and jews to gays, pornographers, and abortionists, whom it’s still OK to hate. I’m not sure what’s sadder, that people like her exist or that they get elected to public office – in a large city no less.

I’d pay good money to see her in a debate with an actual thinking person. Theocrats cannot win such debates, and ultimately must rely on the righteous stupidity and willful ignorance of their supporters to suppress their opposition. For a case study, look at the recent Iranian elections. Theocracy is dying. Hallelujah!

The bright side in all of this is that 90% of the people commenting on the story think Kern is a complete tool with no business in government.

“And I think that’s the way it ought to be handled today, that is, on a state-by-state basis. Different states will make different decisions. But I don’t have any problem with that. I think people ought to get a shot at that,” he said.

I have often said that social issues like gay marriage, drug legalization and abortion should be Federally regulated because they affect ALL Americans. If a gay couple gets married in a state that it is legal, and move to a state that it is not legal, is their marriage void? No, it wouldn’t be. If we are going to legalize gay marriage, legalize it in the entire country. If we believe in equal rights in America, it should apply to all 5o states. I think Cheney is taking an ‘out’ when it comes to this issue by calling it a state issue. Nice try though.

How dangerous is gay marriage to the fabric of our society? No matter how bad you think it would be for the country, it’s worse. Way worse. This little video will let you know that even though gay marriage is the worst thing that could ever happen ever, there are things you can do to keep gay marriages from happening. Watch and learn.

Focus on the Family announced yesterday afternoon that 202 jobs will be cut companywide — an estimated 20 percent of its workforce. Initial reports bring the total number of remaining employees to around 950.

After spending more than half a million dollars for the California Yes on 8 campaign, the Colorado based ministry, is adjusting to the recession just like the rest of the nation.

In all, Focus pumped $539,000 in cash and another $83,000 worth of non-monetary support into the measure to overturn a California Supreme Court ruling that allowed gays and lesbians to marry in that state. The group was the seventh-largest donor to the effort in the country. The cash contributions are equal to the salaries of 19 Coloradans earning the 2008 per capita income of $29,133.

I guess fighting to keep the right to become a family away from loving individuals is more important than the people that are employed by “Focus on the Family”. Can anyone say irony?